Start the Morning Right: High Protein Breakfast Ideas

If you’re like us, morning means more than snoozing your alarm clock and rolling out of bed: it means a serious case of the munchies. There’s no better way to jumpstart your morning than a healthy dose of protein – just mix up a quick smoothie or even bake with protein powder!

We’ve all heard the phrase “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. But for many of us, nutrition is the last thing on our minds first thing out of bed. Breakfast is the meal that boosts your metabolism after the long fast we call sleep. A faster metabolism means more calories burned throughout the day, and is also is a signal to your body that it does not need to go into conservation mode. Having breakfast in the morning does more than supply you with a quick dose of energy – it also has been linked to a lower BMI (body mass index), decreased fat consumption throughout the day, increased fruit and vegetable intake, higher daily calcium and fiber intake, and better performance (both mental and physical) throughout the day.

Why should you have protein at breakfast?

After a long night’s sleep, your body naturally runs low on energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Getting a consistent source of protein throughout the day is important for developing and maintaining your muscles, yet most of us consume protein primarily at dinner time. Having the majority of your protein during one meal is less desirable than spreading it out throughout the day, as your body can only use so much protein at one time. Breakfast is a perfect time for protein, both for spreading your consumption out throughout the day and for starting your metabolism and energy levels out right.

What are some high protein breakfast ideas?

In general, protein shakes are a fantastic way to increase your protein intake in a convenient way. Packed with 20+ grams of protein per serving, protein powder is a great addition to any smoothie, shake, or baked treat. Here are two ways you can incorporate your protein powder into your breakfast routine:

Protein Packed Oatmeal

Ingredients:

2 cups oatmeal, cooked 1 scoop protein powder ¼ cup almonds, crushed 1 tbsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix protein powder, oatmeal, cinnamon, and heat over a medium flame. 2. Add crushed almonds and enjoy!

Banana Protein Shake

Ingredients:

1 cup plain unsweetened almond milk ½ cup plain full fat Greek yogurt 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1 frozen banana ? tsp ground cinnamon Ice, as needed

Directions:

1. Add the unsweetened almond milk, greek yogurt, protein powder, banana, and cinnamon into a blender. 2. Blend until smooth.

Other high protein breakfast ideas that don’t involve protein powder are eggs (try baked eggs in avocados with wheat toast), oatmeal (try peanut butter and jelly overnight oats), cottage cheese (it’s great with fresh fruit), or even chia pudding.